Lucy's Red Sky Grill

In 2000, Lucy Budzyna and Trace Paradise owned and operated Lucy's Red Sky Grill in the Village Center of Seabrook Island. John Lister, now executive chef John Lister, was part of their culinary team.

In 2008, Lucy's changed hands and chef Matt Bolus renamed the property Red Sky Grill.

In 2010, in what the literary world would call a "redux," Lucy Budzyna returned to Red Sky along with chef Lister. Renamed (again) Lucy's Red Sky Grill, this relaxed, resort casual restaurant is once again serving locals and tourists alike.

The restaurant previously had been stripped down to its bare walls, and a consequence of this renovation and restoration was a minimalist space with little cushion for sound. This has resulted in guests criticizing noise levels at Lucy's. To her credit, she quickly went to work to baffle the critics. Padding now softens the sound that rises to the ceiling; Oriental runners cushion the foot falls and screens and upholstered furnishings absorb the sounds from the bar.

The walls continue to act as a gallery for local artists, and the current works on display contribute to the casual and contemporary ambience. The appointments to the restaurant have been edited and fresh flowers, tea lights and contemporary glass globes bathe the dining room in soft light. The view from the wall of windows that flank the booths is still a parking lot, and the out-of-service fuel pump continues to be visited by unsuspecting souls expecting a fill-up.

Lucy is an affable host: greeting her guests, checking in with regulars and calling out a thank-you upon your departure.

The noise levels were pleasant at the time of our visit when the dining room was nearly full and a post happy hour crowd was beginning to filter into the bar.

Chef Lister, who hails from Tampa, was schooled at Johnson & Wales and worked at the Charleston Grill after graduation, is right at home in the kitchen of Red Sky. His menu mines the waters of coastal Carolina along with the current coda of Asian inflection in condiments and ingredients.

He has wisely retained the fried oyster salad (market price) replacing the Marcona almonds with croutons and a canopy of greens that marry spring mix and romaine. The maple cider vinaigrette continues to wash over the briny oysters with notes of sweet, smoke and sour.

The salmon ($17.95) also remains, tasting of France with its mustard crust, frisee base and capers garnish, accompanied by asparagus and a frothy lemon sauce.

The daily specials celebrate the season. Late summer featured fresh tomato soup; a salad dotted with blueberries, toasted cashews, grilled rounds of goat cheese and a fruity vinaigrette. The kitchen takes advantage of local squash, beans, corn, peppers and the local catch.

A shrimp satay ($8.95) showcased Lister's sense of culinary adventure - six local shrimp were crusted with seasonings, then grilled and served with a trio of salads - toothsome soba noodles, refreshing seaweed and tender octopus. The plate was smeared with what tasted like halvah - a nut butter of sesame seeds with dots of spicy sriracha sauce.

Littleneck clams ($9.95) were gently poached in a tomato broth flavored with lemon and garnished with flat-leaf parsley. It was a study in simplicity that works so well when the ingredients are fresh and the chef uses restraint. Crusty rafts of toasted bread assured you of every liquid treasure in the bowl.

Pastas are more than generous and tour the Greek Isles with feta, kalamata olives and chicken ($18.95), head east as lo mein ($17.95) and complete their cook's tour in Italy with cannellini beans, broccoli rabe and sausage ($15.95).

A veal chop ($27.95) was properly frenched and cooked to a juicy pink center. Served with a mousseline of Boursin cheese, fingerling potatoes and slender asparagus, the inflection was French but the flavors were local.

A scallop dish ($22.95) demonstrated the careful cooking of the kitchen. The scallops were burnished with a crisp crust, yet their interior trembled with the tender texture of well-timed turns. They were coddled with a local succotash of sweet corn, butter beans, twists of local shrimp and bits of sweet bell pepper and onion. The flavors of a Lowcountry summer manifest on a plate.

Hamburgers are available upon request. The children's menu ($6.95) offers a healthy grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable, a chicken sandwich and the ubiquitous pizza.

Our server was a delight. Able to keep one eye on her tables as she served her other guests; well-schooled in the ingredients and preparations of the menu; mindful of nearly empty glasses of wine; swift to replenish water.

Lucy's Red Sky is easy to fill in the season of summer. Can she reach that sweet spot between local support and tourist traffic when the sun melts, the leaves fall and winter sets in?

Judging by the friendly staff and well-crafted menu with its attention to the seasons, that would seem to be the case.

And then in the words of the Lennon-McCartney song, she may well be on her way to Lucy, at Red Sky, with diamonds.